Draco's screams tore through the stone walls, reverberating down into the darkness of the dungeon. They had started hours ago—high, desperate cries that broke the stillness like shattered glass. Now, they were ragged and hoarse, fading in and out, as if his voice was giving up before he did.
Hermione curled up on the thin, dirty cot against the wall, her body aching, her mind numb. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sound. She had no idea what they were doing to him up there—what horrors they were forcing him to endure. She only knew that it had to be excruciating, that every new cry made her chest tighten with something sharp and cold.
How was he still alive?
Her fingers dug into the rough blanket, clenching until her knuckles turned white. She shouldn't care. Not about him. But here, in this hellhole, they were just two broken prisoners, chained by the same captors. And she couldn't bear the sound of his suffering.
The door banged open, making her flinch. Two guards dragged Draco's limp form back into the cell and tossed him roughly onto the floor. He hit the ground with a sickening thud, his body crumpling like a rag doll.
"Shame," one of the guards sneered, wiping his hands on his robes. "Still didn't break."
The door slammed shut behind them, and they were alone again.
Hermione forced herself to move, ignoring the pain that shot through her arm. She scrambled off the cot and crawled across the floor, her breath hitching when she saw him.
Draco lay on his side, gasping weakly, his face pale and slick with sweat. His arms were covered in dozens of tiny cuts, each one oozing blood. Whoever had done this hadn't wanted to kill him. They had wanted him to bleed slowly.
"Malfoy?" she whispered, reaching out hesitantly. "Can you hear me?"
His eyelids fluttered. Slowly, painfully, he turned his head and looked at her. His eyes, cloudy with pain, met hers, just for a moment. Then he closed his eyes, his body shuddering as he took in a shaky breath.
"Still… alive," he muttered, the words barely audible.